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The English Patient

As homework for our Novel Course, Rebecca set us the task of
watching The English Patient as an example of good story telling. Our tutor wanted
us to view the movie as an illustration of telling a story in non-chronological order.
She demonstrated how the film gradually reveals key plot points, paced
throughout the feature.

I dutifully watched the film, but I must confess I found The
English Patient somewhat slow paced. I could, however, appreciate the craft of the
story-telling. The film reveals de Almasy's past through flashbacks while he lies in his sickbed, running two
parallel stories, past and present. Meanwhile, the film weaves in a number of subplots.

I am happy to find I recognise this strategy in my current novel, Travel Journals
of a Football Widow; I run two intertwining stories. The
present story tells of Erin’s summer holidays. By night, Erin reads Jennie’s diary
and her past is revealed. However, some pages have been ripped from the journal
so there are gaps in the story. Towards the end, the the missing sheets are revealed to complete the mystery. The consequences of
this have a dramatic impact on the climax of the story. I have, however, learned from this exercise I could develop my subplots further.

Have you read any books that reveal plot in non-chronological
order? Do you have an opinion on The English Patient?

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